Everybody talks about the Grey Goo, but nobody *does* anything about it. The Grey Gooians, informally known as Gooies, are interested in bringing about the Grey Goo, as fast as possible, through the creation of various "ultratechnologies". Because of our common interest in the success of each other's efforts, this list was created to share advice and resources. This highly pragmatic list is intended only for the discussion of specific efforts and immediate choices. It is not for futuristic debate, argument, or discussion of the goo proper. The list is not restricted, but anybody who wastes our time will be first in line when the goo hits the fan.
The "Grey Gooian" mailing list, or the Gooie List for short, was launched as grey@goolist.com on Monday, April 12th, 1999, to assist in the common goal of reaching the Grey Goo. It will do so by pooling the resources of time, brains, influence, and money available to Gooies; by enabling us to draw on the advice and experience of the whole; by bringing together individuals with compatible ideas and complementary resources; and by binding the Gooies into a community. The list will provide a common forum for requesting advice, help and investment; for proposing projects, businesses, and group policies; for announcing updates, status reports, outcomes, Internet resources, and Web sites; for reporting the products of research and investigation; and for sharing news of interest.
The list will have threads concerned with
1. the general theory of a-life
2. the theory of viruses of all kinds,
from computer viruses to matter viruses
3. reverse Cairns-Smith technology, i.e.
how to morph organic life into mineral life
4. computer-assisted design of a-life
5. AI programs designed to be evil and uncontrollable.
Whatever AI technology becomes available will be incorporated into the Goo project. If the Singularity does in fact take the form of pure AI (Vinge himself says this is only one possibility among others), we will make sure that the AI is dedicated to making goo.
Our aim is to destroy this planet once and for all. Not only the planet, but the solar system, the galaxy, and the whole friggin universe. Every last atom will turn to goo. Goo rules!
Lyle